Why do some founders raise with ease—while others, equally talented, get ghosted?

In this episode, we reverse the roles: three HealthTech investors answer real questions from early-stage founders on what makes them say “yes.”

If you’ve ever poured your heart into a pitch only to hear crickets, this conversation will make you feel seen—and help you shift from being overlooked to oversubscribed.

Tune in to hear what Naomi Goez, Jasper, and Veda say are the green flags they look for, the red flags they avoid, and what turns a promising founder into a confident “yes.”

The way you show up, communicate, and align your mission with momentum might be the single most fundable thing you do this quarter.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

🎯What specific traits make investors instantly lean in

🎯Why fast follow-up and Loom videos might close your next round

🎯How investor diligence actually works from their side of the table

🎯What red flags will quietly kill a deal (even if your product is great)

🎯Why building for women’s health is no longer niche—it’s a movement

🎯How founders can turn passion into long-term performance

Timestamps:

00:03:04 - Meet the investor panel: Naomi, Jasper, Veda

00:07:32 - Capital Engine: Preparing founders for the right rooms

00:08:16 - Beyond the pitch: What investors really look for

00:09:59 - Red flags that stop investors in their tracks

00:13:22 - How investors support founders beyond capital

00:15:26 - Key green flags: Urgency, consistency, passion

00:24:30 - Four must-know investor questions

🎧 Related Episodes You’ll Love



📍 Ep 171 – Why Founders Fail When They Ignore This with Monica McKitterick

📍 Ep 170 – From Implementation to Optimization: Never Lose a Client Again Ep 170 with Sandra Johnson

📍 Ep 169 – How AgeTech Startups Win Hospital Trust With Wound-Care Pilots Ep 169 with Amy Cassata

✅Here are 3 ways we can support you right now:

🎤 Be a Featured Guest on the Provider’s Edge
 Have traction and a story to share? Apply to join us on the show: PulsePointPath.com/Call-Sabrina

📊 Ready to turn your pitch into a magnet?

Send us your draft, let me rewrite it for you 👉 PitchToYes.com

🎯 Get You In Front of Investors
We match you with the most aligned investors and decision-makers who care about your niche already. Apply at CapitalEngine.vc

When you’re building a healthcare startup, there’s one resource you can’t afford to waste—your people.

Too often, founders lose top talent because they rely on quick fixes instead of designing compensation and incentives that keep employees engaged for the long haul.

In this episode, I sat down with Scott Trumpolt, a compensation consultant with 30+ years of HR experience, including 12 years advising startups and healthcare companies.

We explore how founders can balance equity vs. pay, stay transparent with teams, and build incentive structures that attract talent, retain high performers, and strengthen investor confidence, all while making people feel valued and aligned with the mission.

🔑 How compensation and engagement together drive retention

🔑 Ways early-stage founders can balance equity, cash, and variable pay

🔑 Why transparency builds trust and loyalty inside small teams

🔑 How tying incentives to milestones strengthens investor confidence

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Why talent needs more than pay to stay

00:01:47 – Why retention matters in early-stage startups

00:03:16 – Scott’s 30-year journey in HR and consulting

00:05:58 – Appreciation as a retention factor

00:08:52 – Equity, variable pay, and survival mode

00:12:25 – Capital Engine: investor readiness support

00:16:51 – Hiring for today’s needs vs. future scalability

00:19:59 – Candidate frustrations: ghosting and misfit hiring

00:23:05 – Keeping people engaged during slow growth phases

00:25:23 – Career architecture as a hiring tool

00:29:51 – Using long-term incentives for senior leaders

00:33:15 – Sabrina’s closing call: apply lessons to your team

00:34:32 – Six key learning points from today’s episode

🎧 Related Episodes You’ll Love

🎤 Be a Featured Guest on the Provider’s Edge

Have traction and a story to share? Apply to join us on the show: PulsePointPath.com/Call-Sabrina

📊 Ready to turn your pitch into a magnet?

Send us your draft, let me rewrite it for you 👉 PitchToYes.com

🎯 Get You In Front of Investors

We match you with the most aligned investors and decision-makers who care about your niche already. Apply at CapitalEngine.vc

Burnout isn’t just a clinical issue—it’s a leadership one. And most clinicians-turned-founders are burning the candle at both ends while trying to serve, scale, and stay sane. Monica McKitterick, PA-C, did it differently.

When she stopped leading from adrenaline and started building from alignment, everything shifted—her visibility, her support system, and her ability to scale without chaos.

“You’re doing too much” wasn’t an insult—it was a wake-up call. Monica shares what happened when she created space for actual relief… and why more clinicians need to stop hiding behind their grind.

Listen in to learn how Monica built a sustainable, multi-site practice while helping NPs and PAs claim their space in the DPC world.

Less hustle, more intention. Greater reach, deeper fulfillment. Learn what happens when you lead with your nervous system—not just your ambition.

💠Why leading from nervous system regulation creates scalable clarity

💠The #1 mindset shift Monica teaches clinicians who want to become founders

💠How to build visibility and trust—even if you’re terrible on camera

💠The hidden power of answering questions in Facebook groups

💠What it really takes to grow past $3M (hint: it’s not patient care)

💠How to know if entrepreneurship is right for you

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Silent signals of burnout and why alignment matters

00:00:59 - Introducing guest Monica McKitterick, NP and DPC founder

00:02:57 - Monica’s story: from NP to direct primary care pioneer

00:05:27 - Burnout and the realization that scaling isn’t everything

00:07:26 - Sabrina on ecosystems: family, mentors, partners, community

00:11:18 - Giving back through boards and community service

00:14:05 - Key lessons from Monica’s book: entrepreneurship readiness

00:17:09 - Marketing, sales, and operations before $3M in revenue

00:19:54 - Redefining worth beyond revenue and patient numbers

00:24:22 - Staying open to the future and embracing change

00:24:40 - Encouragement for aspiring clinician-founders

00:27:48 - Monica’s journey: from provider to community leader

00:28:44 - The power of visibility and selling yourself as a founder

00:29:42 - Episode summary and five key learning points

00:30:41 - The hidden costs of doing it all yourself

🎧 Related Episodes You’ll Love

🎤 Be a Featured Guest on the Provider’s Edge

Have traction and a story to share? Apply to join us on the show: PulsePointPath.com/Call-Sabrina

📊 Ready to turn your pitch into a magnet?

Send us your draft, let me rewrite it for you 👉 PitchToYes.com

🎯 Get You In Front of Investors

We match you with the most aligned investors and decision-makers who care about your niche already. Apply at PulsePointPath.com/Pitch-Application